Mountain Lions...and....

[MakeDigitalLove]

Nothing crazy, Deer, Possum, Raccoons, etc. Love em all.

[matty7]

the uk is quite boring for larger/dangerous animals - someone thought it would be a great idea to wipe them out, though there is talk about bringing wolves back to Scotland to help control deer population , otherwise it foxes and smaller animals at best

[Bhp91126]

Central Florida has lots of bears, coyotes and the occasional bobcat, not that I've ever seen any of them.
However we also have lots of gators here, and those creep me out.

[dynamodean]

I've seen my fair share of cougars and bears...

...oh sorry, you were talking about wildlife.

The only "wildlife" I'm annoyed by are the damn seagulls bombing up the place (and my poor car, occasionally). I pretty much only see "lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my" kind of animals in zoos.

[East]

I grew up with a fear of boars, as my family had hunted them in times past, and I remember story books with pictures of them attacking men when hunted.

Of course, there are actually native wild hogs in the Southwest, but where I grew up in the South, only feral European hogs. Awesome animals, to be sure.

I worry about the big cats. They have a higher propensity to stalk humans than bears or other top predators. And because they are expert at stealth, we need hikers to be much more educated about traveling in pairs and how to be aware. Unfortunately, panthers take from behind, and by the neck, so few humans will ever get a chance to fight back or escape.

Top predators are a must, but we need to become nature smart again as a species, and survive the encounters.

And my sympathies go to anyone experiencing the terror of being attacked by a predator.

The same person whose house I was at where I saw the wild boar ....

I usually went there maybe once a week and had been going for years (I still do)...and one evening I got out of my car as usual and I was maybe five feet from my car and I froze. I could sense that there was a mountain lion VERY CLOSE TO ME...I didn't see/smell/hear anything but my senses and instincts are very good and since I use them and don't dismiss them ....I am dialed in and I trust them....

I put my hands way above my head and slowly made my way to the door. I felt like if I went back to my car it would be walking toward it and not a good idea....I knew he was watching me intently but I didn't feel like he would attack as long as I did what I was doing....you have to make yourself larger...

So when I got to the door I was telling her to hurry and let me in and she couldn't believe there was a mountain lion in her yard ...blah blah blah...very few people ever pay attention to my instincts which is fine....and then a couple weeks later she called me to ask me HOW I knew there was a mountain lion in her yard...it had been seen by many of the neighbors and was in their yards as well

....Uh.....I long ago got tired of explaining and so instead of trying to explain anything anymore I just redirect the question back to them...

Instead of defending myself and trying to explain instincts to someone who is not in tune with them I ask them "Why didn't YOU know?"

[East]

Oh thank you for this....I was rooting for the big cat.....we have had wildcats in our area...probably bobcat or somesuch...and have had a very large bear in the fields next to the house....along with wolves, coyotes (too many of them) foxes and the usual skunks, porcupines and of course...a large herd (20-30) of deer.

This is one of the reasons why we are planting a 100 metre wide corridor down the centre of the farm with trees...and placing conservation easements on our property in order to help create cover for the wildlings that we share our home with.

But I wish we had more big cats.

Wow..what a great idea ..the corridor...I love it...

I go to another zone with big cats...I devote my entire attention to them and they fascinate me. I am in love with them....especially black panthers....

It is illegal to hunt/kill mountain lions here privately but if the lion has attacked a human or is hanging around a school they can either take it and relocate it...or shoot it if they have to. We have alot of bobcats too.....

This video is recent from Cupertino (home of Apple) in Silicon Valley




Unfortunately in a recent seperate incident...a Mountain Lion in Cupertino mauled a young boy so they killed it...

I hate when they kill them...they only do it if they feel the mountain lion is a threat to the community...

[Hardheaded1]

It's a shame when they have to put one down.

If they begin predating on humans, I'm not sure what alternative they have.

As much as I love nature, I'd feel responsible in part if I had countenanced a big cat in my neighborhood until it became accustomed to humans, then discovered it had taken a neighbor or his kid.

The poodles, they can have.

[East]

It's a shame when they have to put one down.

If they begin predating on humans, I'm not sure what alternative they have.

As much as I love nature, I'd feel responsible in part if I had countenanced a big cat in my neighborhood until it became accustomed to humans, then discovered it had taken a neighbor or his kid.

The poodles, they can have.

It was really sad some years back...in Morgan Hill.... which is also in Silicon Valley...some baby lions were at the elementary school in the morning behind the fence...I think there were three of them...

I am not sure now but I think one got away and they shot one or both of the other ones....

On a happier note...also in Morgan Hill..a friend of mine works at one of the golf courses and there was a mother lion and two babies way out on the course under a tree right by the grass and he never reported them



I found the story...it was in 2011...I got the details wrong....

http://www.morganhilltimes.com/news/moun...l?mode=jqm

[East]

Here is a cool video on the mountain lions where I live...




I am obsessed with mountain lions...any big cat actually...I have this inborn and natural complete respect and admiration for them....

[LONDONER]

Beautiful animals but then all of the big cats are.